The Venetians of the Reiterjoch pass
The Reiterjoch pass with its ancient mountain gallery is located where the Fiemme valley to the south joins the Eggental valley to the north. Hidden within is the Knappenstube, the miners’ cavern. This is the home of the Venetians who collected and stored great quantities of gold and precious stones inside the mountain. You don’t believe it? Then take a look in the direction of the Reiterjoch on Midsummer Night, from 23 to 24 June, when the entrance to the cavern can be seen glowing brightly! Can you see it too? Find out more here!
Once two peasants from Welschnofen/Nova Levante dared to climb up and did indeed find the entrance. They fearlessly entered and, after a few steps, saw a death’s head lying in the middle of the tunnel. For a joke, one of the two peasants removed his hat from his head and put it on the skull. That was their good fortune, as from their lair within the mountain the Venetians fired a volley of shots that only hit the skull.
When the shooting stopped, the peasants ventured deeper into the tunnel and there discovered a gigantic hall where everything glittered in silver and gold. The ceiling, walls and floor were made of pure gold, while innumerable treasures lay scattered about in large quantities. On one wall, however, they saw something very special: a set of golden skittles. They would have gladly taken the skittles and balls with them had these not been guarded by two black dogs with fiery eyes.
They thus dared not take another step. And, when a dreadful storm arose, with thunder and lightning and a terrible roaring as if the mountain were about to collapse, the two men were seized with such terror that they ran straight out of the cavern. Out there, however, the most glorious night sky awaited them as the moon serenely ran its course.
Source (revised): Heyl, Johann Adolf, Volkssagen, Bräuche und Meinungen aus Tirol, Brixen 1897, p. 381
